William, Kate try to seek some private time

Prince William and his new wife Kate Middleton opted for a quiet weekend at a British location instead of an immediate overseas honeymoon.

This fight for privacy is crucial if they are to avoid being hounded like William's mother, the late Princess Diana, whose every move was tailed.

The royal newlyweds started the day by asking the media not to intrude this weekend and also to leave them alone when they eventually start their honeymoon.

Palace officials also asked the media not to reveal where the couple live near William's Royal Air Force base in Wales.

He will return to military duty there as a helicopter rescue pilot after the holiday weekend, which ends Monday.

The request for privacy was in stark contrast to their accessibility to the public over the previous two days.

The night before the big wedding day, William greeted crowds on the streets outside his official residence in an impromptu gesture.

The royal couple also dazzled the masses on their wedding day with an open-topped carriage ride from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace and a pair of kisses on a palace balcony. They also emerged from the gates of the palace with the prince at the wheel of his father's Aston Martin, which had balloons on the back and a "Just Wed" license plate.

William and Middleton, who now have the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now seem determined not to let paparazzi make it impossible for them to go about their business without constantly feeling they are being stalked.

The couple, walking hand in hand on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, boarded a helicopter Saturday morning to a secret location, and then issued a statement asking to be left alone.

"The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during the coming weekend and during their honeymoon," according to a message posted on the official royal wedding website.

Previously, officials said William had scheduled two weeks of leave from his military duties amid indications that the honeymoon would begin a day or two after the wedding. But the couple said on the website that they would take an overseas honeymoon at a later date.

The ultimate destination remains a closely-guarded secret, although a number of idyllic locations have been mentioned.